


Acting The Fool

by caz251



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 07:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6414130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caz251/pseuds/caz251
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has been acting the fool for a long time, but he has a reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Acting The Fool

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt Any, any, Acting the fool. at fic-promptly

Tony had been hiding behind his masks for a long time now. He had dropped them when he first came to NCIS, working alongside Gibbs as his partner it was easy to be himself. Abby, Ducky, Gibbs and the Director had all seen something worthwhile in him, so he rewarded them by showing them who he was. He respected them and they respected him in turn, his relationship with the Director was strictly professional, but the others had become his family in a way.

Family changes though, whether adding or losing members and the way you act with the family can change based on that. When Gibbs had mentioned hiring Kate Tony had agreed, she would be a good addition to their family, but he also knew that she wouldn’t react well to two strong male presences in charge of her, not while she was learning the ropes at least. He and Gibbs had agreed that Tony would loosen up more while in the office, let some of the fun nature that he normally kept out of the office into his everyday routines. 

They hadn’t intended for the mask to last long, just until Kate was comfortable and settled within the team, but then they added McGee to the team, and Tony’s masks stayed firmly in place. Before long it was almost easier for Tony to stay hidden behind the mask of the clown, the only times he really dropped it now were when he was alone at home, in the basement with Gibbs, clubbing with Abby or having tea with Ducky and his mother.

His masks meant that people constantly underestimated him, something that was useful to him in his line of work. He did wonder though if he had dropped the masks he would have been the member of the team regarded as the threat rather than Kate. The profiles that had been compiled on the team obviously showed her as the most competent and Tony could only assume that it was for that reason that Ari had killed her, either that or he was aiming for the only woman on the team to hurt the rest of them for not protecting her.

When Ziva joined the team Tony’s mask got stronger; the jokes and movie quotes coming more often. He didn’t trust her, not like Gibbs appeared to, so he wasn’t going to reveal himself to her. If it meant that she didn’t respect him or what he could do, so be it. Until he could be sure that no-one else was out to hurt what was left of his family he would continue to act the fool, letting everyone underestimate him. He could protect them better if no-one knew exactly what he was capable of, it was the best defence. Nobody would expect the comic relief to be the strongest defender.


End file.
